


beatdowns

by Qitana



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe, Chef! Kagami Taiga, It's rated T solely for language, Kid Kise Ryouta, M/M, Mostly Fluff, Pro Basketball Player Aomine Daiki, The Riko/Momo is a mentioned ship, aokaga - Freeform, feminist aomine, i literally had no better one in mind, the title is far more aggressive sounding than the fic, there's descriptions of wounds and bruises but it's not crazy explicit or anything, they're older than canon, which is something my boyfriend said that i just have to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:28:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24019012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Qitana/pseuds/Qitana
Summary: ‘Whatever, just meet me in the back in 3 hours. You know, that place where you passed out and nearly died in my arms?’Daiki chokes on his own spit and Kagami has the satisfaction of watching him cough his lungs out with watery eyes for the next minute before graciously offering him some water.‘Low blow,’ Daiki mumbles, when he grabs the glass.
Relationships: Aida Riko/Momoi Satsuki, Aomine Daiki & Kise Ryouta, Aomine Daiki/Kagami Taiga, Kise Ryouta & Momoi Satsuki
Comments: 16
Kudos: 123





	beatdowns

**Author's Note:**

> so it's been a while. 
> 
> i think the pandemic and the quarantine has reignited the passion of many dormant artists and writers. i was reading through my bookmarks and clicked on an Aokaga piece and the next thing i know, i'm writing. and i churn this thing out. 
> 
> i cant guarantee it's any good, i feel rusty as hell. but man is it good to write again. aokaga was my first ever ship and the reason for my first ever fic, so suffice to say they hold a really special place in my heart. 
> 
> i hope you guys like it, and if you've stuck around all these years, thank you. you guys really kept me going.

Kagami’s in the alleyway behind the restaurant taking a short break when he sees him for the first time.

It’s a bit late in the evening, so the lighting is poor, but he can tell that the man is tall. His movements are sluggish, his feet dragging against the cobbled road and he’s using the wall to his right for support. Kagami watches him with raised eyebrows, trying to appraise the situation. When he finally makes it under the light, Kagami’s eyebrows shoot up completely.

The man’s an absolute _mess_. His face is bruised, a nice shiner starting to peek around his left eye. His lip is cut and bleeding, and there’s blood streaking his face. There’s more blood splattered over his clothes, and his shirt and jeans are ripped in a manner that doesn’t seem like he paid for them to be that way. Kagami stands up from the carton he’s sitting on just in time to watch the man go down.

Right before he face plants, Kagami catches him by the shoulders and holds him up. He’s got some mass on him, but absolutely zero fight or life.

‘Oi,’ Kagami grunts, shaking the man slightly. Aside from a pained groan, the man grows even limper in his arms.

‘Fuck,’ Kagami grumbles softly before readjusting the man’s body to hold him up with one arm. He uses the other to pound on the door beside him.

10 seconds later he hears footsteps and a muffled _what’s going on?_ The door swings open and out comes Izuki, looking around before his eyes land on the two men.

When he doesn’t say anything for the next minute, Kagami starts sweating.

‘Um.’

Izuki looks back into the kitchen, hand still holding the door open. ‘Hyuga, I think Kagami killed a man.’

Kagami swats his free hand at Izuki. ‘What the hell, no I didn’t! I just found this guy, I mean, he walked up to me and then just collapsed. He’s not dead.’ Kagami pushes his fingers into the guy’s neck, trying to find his pulse. ‘I think.’

Hyuga shows up and gawks at the scene in front of him. ‘What the hell, I thought Izuki was kidding.’

‘Hyuga-san, I did not kill this man. And I feel a pulse, so he’s not dead. But we need to do something, he’s completely passed out.’

Hyuga scrutinizes the scene for a few moments before looking behind him and gesturing at someone. Mitobe comes out from behind Hyuga and crouches down beside Kagami. He gently puts the man’s other arm around his shoulder while Kagami shifts him around. They nod at each other and heave him up. He’s not too heavy for Kagami alone, but the additional support ensures that they don’t jostle him further.

The group walks into the kitchen and sets the man down on a stool in a corner, leaning him back such that his body is supported by the two walls. He’s breathing a little harder but hasn’t regained his consciousness. His face is twisted with pain.

‘Mitobe, you know first aid right?’ The man nods mutely. ‘There’s a kit in the drawers by aisle one, can you pick that up?’

Mitobe leaves them, and Izuki walks back to his station. It’s not like the whole kitchen can tend to this man while they’re still in service. Kagami stays by his side, crouching in front of him and trying to assess the damage. The bleeding seems to have reduced, but there are other parts of him that need attention. Kagami gingerly lifts the guy’s shirt and hisses when he sees the huge splotches of red and purple under his ribs.

‘Heyyy,’ a voice grumbles, fully slurry. Kagami looks up at the man’s face and sees that he’s finally awake. ‘What are you doing?’

Kagami lets go of his shirt and rubs the back of his head, feeling slightly embarrassed. ‘Sorry, I was just checking how bad the dam-‘

‘At least buy me dinner first.’

‘-age was. _What_?’

The guy decides to pass out again and Kagami is torn between smacking him and sniggering at the terrible joke. What a dumbass.

‘Kagami,’ Hyuga says, phone in hand. ‘I just called an ambulance, they should be here soon.’

Kagami nods and turns back to the guy. The kitchen lighting is significantly better, so he’s finally able to _really_ _look_ at the guy. He notes the deep tan and the dark blue hair. His face is all sharp lines and his body seems lean. Even under his hands, Kagami felt nothing but muscle. Clearly this guy was no pushover.

Mitobe comes back with a seemingly tiny box in his giant hands, and starts to pull out some gauze. He gingerly leans forward and pushes aside some of the guy’s hair, and locates the source of the bleed.

‘Is it bad?’

Mitobe looks at him before peeking over his shoulder at Koganei, who’s wiping his hands on his apron. He seems to have replaced Hyuga.

‘He says it’s not great, but he’ll be fine. The gash is definitely deep.’

Kagami sighs and stands up. He walks to his locker and pulls out his red and black bomber jacket. It’s super warm, and the material is soft and fluffy. He carefully drapes it over the man. He’s dressed pretty lightly, and it’s not really warm outside. Mitobe nods his approval.

A minute later, Kagami hears the sirens. Koganei opens the door and lets the paramedics in, and they head towards the man. Mitobe stands up and gets out of the way, and they quickly assess the damage before the stretcher is brought in by two others. In a matter of seconds, the man is hauled out, Kagami’s jacket still draped over him.

‘Are any of you coming? We can ask you questions on the way.’

Kagami looks back and Hyuga yells, ‘Just go, we’ll cover your shift tonight.’ Kagami flashes the kitchen a big smile before climbing into the ambulance. He knows that they know him well enough to know that he would spend the rest of his shift needlessly worrying about this stranger that’s 70 kinds of messed up.

‘So what happened?’

Kagami recalls the entire incident, all the while looking between the paramedics and the guy’s face. It’s incredible how, with all the damage he’s sustained, he still looks pretty handsome.

A shrill ring silences the ambulance before Kagami realizes that the noise is coming from the stranger’s pant pocket. He makes a split second decision and decides to answer it. The contact detail reads _Satsuki (Pain-in-ass)._

‘Dai-chan? Where are you?’

‘Um, hi, this is Kagami Taiga, uh-‘

‘I’m sorry? Did I get the wrong number?’

Kagami clears his throat, ‘No actually, there’s been an accident. I’m the one that found him, and we’re headed to the hospital right now.’

He hears empty static for a moment before there’s a ton of rustling. ‘Please tell me which hospital you’re headed to.’

Kagami looks over at the paramedics and asks, relaying the same to this Satsuki person.

‘Ok, I can be there in 10 minutes. Kagami-san, thank you so much for picking up. I am Momoi Satsuki, by the way.’

‘No problem,’ Kagami reassures her, ‘I’ll see you at the hospital, Momoi-san.’

They pull into the hospital drive way and Kagami realizes it’s not that far from the restaurant so he can go back pretty easily. As they wheel the guy away, Kagami stands in the hallway with the stranger’s phone clutched in his hand. The paramedics hadn’t said much about the extent of damage, but it seemed pretty bad.

Minutes later, a really pretty woman with bright pink hair and wide eyes bursts through the door, looking about frantically. Kagami’s sitting down and he raises his hand to catch her attention, intuitively recognizing her.

‘Kagami-san?’ she asks as she draws near him. Kagami nods.

‘Hi, they just took him in a few minutes ago. And here- ‘he hands the phone over. ‘I kept it just in case you called again.’

Momoi takes the phone and cradles it to her chest. ‘Thank you so much! You have no idea what this means to me.’ She suddenly turns around, and Kagami spots the boy behind her. He’s got blonde hair, and he looks to be about 7. He’s really cute, and he hides behind Momoi, clutching her pant with both hands. ‘Ryo, this is the nice man that saved Dai-chan. You don’t have to be scared sweetie.’

The kid peeks around her and mumbles _Thank you_. Kagami flashes him a big grin. ‘No worries! Anyway, if you’ve got it all under control, then I’m going to head back. I’m still on the clock.’

Momoi nods vigorously. ‘Of course, I’ve got it from here. Thank you again, Kagami-san. You’ve done so much.’ She bows deeply.

Kagami waves his arms, looking sheepish. ‘It’s nothing at all. Anyway, I hope he’s ok.’

Momoi pulls out a phone from her bag and turns to Kagami with wide, hopeful eyes. ‘Can I please get your number Kagami-san? I would like to keep you updated on Daiki’s condition, if that’s ok.’

Kagami nods, a little relieved that he’ll be in the loop. Which is strange, because he doesn’t even know the guy’s full name, but still. It’s a _thing_ apparently. He rattles off his number to Momoi, and with one last wave to the little boy, he leaves the ER and steps into the cool night.

It’s been an eventful evening, to put it lightly.

~~~

Kagami’s phone blinking with a message from an unknown number is the first he hears about Daiki after the entire dramatic affair. It’s the day after, and he’s in the kitchen cutting scallions. He reaches for his phone faster than he would have normally. 

Did Kagami lose sleep last night over this Daiki guy? No. Did he check his phone a lot more frequently than usual? Maybe (read: definitely).

It’s from Momoi.

_Hi Kagami-san, Momoi Satsuki here! Dai-chan got all his scans done, and he’s awake now! He had 2 broken ribs, a laceration on his forehead and a mild concussion amongst other things, but he’ll be discharged this evening._

**_That sounds pretty bad, but I’m glad he’s being discharged. Do you guys need help with anything else?_ **

_Oh Kagamin, you’re too kind. Don’t worry about it though, we’ll be ok. Thank you again, for everything._

‘Oi,’ Hyuga grunts, smacking Kagami lightly on the head, ‘what are you spacing out for? We have so much prep to do.’

Kagami shoots him a guilty look. ‘Sorry chef, just a second.’

**_You’re welcome. Take care._ **

And with that, it’s the last he’ll ever be involved with Daiki. 

~~~

It’s not the last he’s involved with Daiki.

Kitchen prep is in full swing, with everyone bustling around and getting things done like a well-oiled machine. There’s good natured banter everywhere, and the warmth of the kitchen far exceeds the several stoves lining every aisle. Kagami’s mood is light, and he finds himself bickering with Hyuga and Kiyoshi.

He’s aiming to throw a turnip at Kiyoshi when Koganei walks in through the door connecting the kitchen and the restaurant and says, ‘Oi, Kagami, there’s someone out there asking for you.’

Kagami stops his ministrations and his eyebrows knit together. It’s barely opening time, and they haven’t gotten any dishes out yet. It’s not new for chefs to be called out and praised, but that tends to happen _after_ they’ve served some food.

‘Who-‘

‘I think it’s that guy from 2 weeks ago. The one Izuki thought you killed.’

Kagami’s eyes widen comically and he puts the turnip down a bit forcefully before rushing past Koganei to the front.

Has he been crushing on this Daiki guy? No. Has he been thinking about him anyway? Maybe (read: who’s he kidding, of course).

The man standing in front of him is definitely that same beat up guy that had the spirit in him to crack a joke while coming in and out of consciousness. But he’s also so much more- so much more handsome, so much more intense, just, so much _more_ somehow.

‘You must be Kagami.’

Kagami nods mutely. The guy’s voice is clearer now, and it’s a nice voice. Deep and husky, like the narrators in movies or documentaries.

‘I uh, wanted to come by and say thank you, to you and everyone else involved. For, you know, saving my sorry ass. Not that it needed saving but.’

Kagami realizes one more _so much more_ he was feeling- so much more annoying.

‘You’re here because of Momoi-san, aren’t you?’

The man’s eyes widen before he looks away with a guilty smirk. ‘Maybe.’

Kagami sighs, ‘Well, whatever. You’re welcome I guess. I’m sure you would’ve made it on your own. I mean, it’s not like you were bleeding and passed out.’

The man huffs. ‘Ok, shit, that’s not what I meant, I’m just. I’m really bad at this stuff ok? But, like. Yes. You may have totally saved my ass.’

He’s blushing. Kagami takes a closer look at his face, sees the yellowing of his black eye and the marks where his stitches should be. He looks better, but the little details remind Kagami that the guy’s been through a lot, so maybe he can cut him some slack.

‘It’s ok, really. Good to know you’re looking better.’

The man nods. ‘Well, I just wanted to say that. And uh,’ he scratches his cheek, looking at the wall behind Kagami, ‘would you maybe want to get something to eat later? Or a beer or something? As a thank you.’

Kagami chuckles, because this Daiki guy is seriously weird. One moment he’s cocky as hell, the next he’s blushing and nervous and asking him out.

‘I’m off in 3 hours, taking an early day today. Wanna go then?’

Daiki’s face breaks into a wide smile. ‘Well, I mean, if you’re so eager, how ever could I say no?’

A vein twitches in Kagami’s forehead. ‘You’re the one that asked me out though!’

‘Semantics,’ Daiki says, waving his hand flippantly. He’s lucky there’s no turnips around for Kagami to pelt him with.

‘Whatever, just meet me in the back in 3 hours. You know, that place where you passed out and nearly died in my arms?’

Daiki chokes on his own spit and Kagami has the satisfaction of watching him cough his lungs out with watery eyes for the next minute before graciously offering him some water.

‘Low blow,’ Daiki mumbles, when he grabs the glass. After a few generous sips, he exhales softly and says, ‘Aomine Daiki.’

Kagami bumps his fist into the one extended towards him, ‘Kagami Taiga.’

~~~

Aomine is waiting outside by the door, sitting on the same carton Kagami was on when he first encountered the man.

‘Here,’ he says, pressing a cold beer into the man’s shoulder. Aomine looks up and flashes him a smile before taking it. They twist the caps open, clink the bottles in a silent cheers and take a nice, long swig. Even their groans of satisfaction are in perfect unison.

‘So, what do you do?’ Kagami asks, sitting down on the stair, body angled towards Aomine. They’re not quite touching, but their knees are close enough. Aomine doesn’t move.

‘I am a part-time basketball coach for the high-school nearby. I play for the local league as well.’

Kagami can’t help but smile. ‘You play ball? That’s awesome, me too!’

Aomine’s answering smile is blinding and any residual tension or awkwardness seeps out of his body instantly. ‘Yeah?’ His grin turns exceedingly cocky and Kagami is concerned with the rather aggressive urges he feels towards the man when he sees it- like throwing more produce at him, or a basketball to the face. ‘You any good?’

Kagami snorts. ‘Better than you probably.’

Aomine laughs, and it’s loud and boisterous. Kagami doesn’t hate it. ‘Good. It’s nice to be optimistic. Makes it that much more fun when I beat your ass.’

They continue bickering in the alleyway, but it’s good natured somehow. The beer goes down smooth, and when they’re done, Kagami places their bottles in the recycling bin and Aomine leads the way as they walk down a few blocks over to a rooftop bar that Kagami had somehow never noticed before. Seemed like Aomine was a regular; the receptionist greeting him by name and directing them to a table with a great view overlooking the city.

They get more beers and some bar food, and they talk. They spend the whole evening talking, about _everything_ really. It’s intimate, but neither seems perturbed by it. Aomine comments on the impressive amounts of food Kagami is putting away, and Kagami laughs when Aomine tells him he can’t cook worth a damn. They talk about high-school, more about basketball, about where they grew up. And finally, the burning question.

‘So _how_ did you get your ass beat?’

Aomine sighs, takes a large sip of beer and looks at Kagami. His smile is smaller, more tentative, a bit embarrassed.

‘You won’t believe it probably.’

‘Try me.’

‘Well,’ Aomine mutters, scratching the back of his head, ‘it grosses me out to say this, but you know how Satsuki is like, _not ugly_? Like, ugh, I can’t even say it.’

Kagami waves his hand in a gesture that says _go on_. ‘I know what you’re trying to say. _And_?’

‘So like, since we were kids, I’ve dealt with her being given a hard time by random strangers. People being too pushy and cocky and annoying. And, uh, it’s sort of made me completely intolerant to that stuff. I mean, any good citizen should take that shit personally and ensure the safety of women the world over, but like, it’s even more personal to me, you know?’

Kagami nods. He has a feeling he knows where this is going.

‘So I was walking home, _completely_ minding my own business, and then I come across this group of douche-bags just ragging on this chick. Like, a group of 5 men just harassing this lady. And in that moment, I couldn’t _not_ think about Satsuki. Like, just- my mind went blank. Next thing I know, the 5 men are on the ground, I can’t feel much of my body and the woman is nowhere to be seen.’

Before Kagami can voice his annoyance, Aomine interjects with ‘I told her to run away when I saw the chance, so don’t go getting mad about it. The whole point of the fight was to ensure her safety.’

Kagami whistles low in his throat. ‘You’re a lot less of an asshole than I thought you were. I mean, I’m impressed despite myself.’

‘Well, of course I’m amazing. Have you met me?’

‘… scratch that. You’re a dumbass.’

But all in all, Kagami means it. He’s impressed, and there’s something warm and comfortable settling in his chest right now. The alcohol is definitely aiding that.

‘Satsuki was gonna have my head for the fight, but when I explained it to her, she just sort of hugged me and didn’t speak about it again. Which is _very_ uncharacteristic of her.’

There’s a softness to Aomine when he speaks about Momoi, another unexpected but pleasant character trait. Kagami finishes the last of his beer.

‘Want another?’ His head jerks towards the finished bottle sitting right opposite his own.

‘Why you asking? You some kind of lightweight?’

Kagami sighs deep, signaling for a waiter. ‘How can someone be such an asshole but also a semi-decent guy, all in the span of 45 seconds?’

The waiter saunters over to their table. ‘It’s one of his many talents.’ He winks at Aomine.

The tanned man swats at the waiter, and Kagami orders two more beers and some onion rings. It’s ridiculously late, but somehow, their date doesn’t seem close to winding down.

Kagami finds that he doesn’t mind all that much (read: not at all).

~~~

Aomine becomes somewhat of a constant in his life after that.

He diligently drops by the restaurant every Friday night after practice for dinner. And like clockwork, Satsuki and Kise are with him. He learns that Satsuki and her girlfriend Riko adopted the blonde as a toddler, and because Satsuki clearly has poor judgment, the couple named Aomine the godfather of the child.

Anyone can see that the kid _adores_ Aomine though. They can also see that Aomine is the biggest softie around him. It’s endearing, not that Kagami would ever admit to thinking that.

‘Kagami,’ Koganei calls out from the swinging door, ‘table 5 wants the regular, with extra fries on the side.’

Kagami confirms the order and gets to cooking. They always order the same thing- Aomine with his teriyaki burgers, Satsuki with curry, which is funny because she said she doesn’t like curry but Kagami’s restaurant actually makes her like it, and Kise with onion soup and fries on the side.

When Kagami is done cooking up the order, he rings it up and places the dishes at the service station. Koganei pokes his head back there and sniggers. ‘They also very specifically requested personal delivery.’

Kagami sighs. He wants to smack Aomine, but also he _really_ doesn’t mind. And the kitchen knows it too. Unfortunately.

‘Kagamichhi,’ Kise’s wide toothy grin greets him as he carefully approaches the table. Kagami carefully places the food in front of the respective person before giving Kise a high-five. ‘Hi buddy.’ Apparently, the minute Kise gets comfortable with someone, all his shyness leaves him and he becomes almost _too_ familiar. Kagami finds it extremely precious.

Coming from an overgrown child like Aomine is a different matter. He _shouldn’t_ find it precious.

‘Kagamiiiii~’ the man groans, arms wrapping around the red head’s waist. ‘Satsuki tried feeding me again and I almost died. What do I do?’

Kagami pries his hands off and smacks his head lightly. Does he ruffle Aomine’s hair gently? Never (read: his hair is super soft).

‘How the heck am I supposed to know?’ the redhead grunts. He chuckles at Momoi’s pout. ‘I’m sure it wasn’t that bad, Momoi.’

Momoi sticks her tongue out at Aomine before spooning a bit of the curry. She pouts, ‘Well, I mean, it was pretty bad.’

Kagami hums. ‘I can always give you tips. You have my number right?’

She flashes him a soft smile. ‘Thanks Kagamin, I’ll hold you up to that.’

Kagami ruffles Kise’s hair again. ‘It was good to see you guys, but I gotta go back, kitchen’s a bit swamped today.’

They wave him off, and he realizes only after he’s back at his station that he’d squeezed Aomine’s shoulder on his way out.

Is that something worth thinking about? Not really. Does he anyway? The rest of service and then some.

~~~

Aomine becomes a constant in his home too.

By some weird twist of fate, Kagami’s apartment happens to be near Aomine's practice court, so every Tuesday becomes late night taco night. Kagami brings leftover filling from the restaurant and heats up some precooked shells in the oven. They assemble them the way they like and eat it in front of the TV, usually with a basketball game on and beer bottles littering the table by the sofa. It amuses Kagami that Aomine sometimes picks romcoms to watch, the Nicholas Sparks variety no less, and has the audacity to blame Momoi for his choices. Kagami doesn’t mind though. There’s nothing weird about being spread out on his couch next to the tanned man, beer high and watching sappy movies. There's also nothing weird about Aomine just keeping Kagami's jacket for himself, wearing it on the regular, or the scarf Kagami swipes in return, which finds a way to keep Kagami's neck warm 6 out of 7 days. 

Aomine also invites himself to stay the night, making himself at home on the couch. Kagami has now designated a set of sheets, a pillow and a fluffy blanket as Aomine’s. The tanned man knows this. They don’t talk about it.

But every Tuesday, the sheets are clean and smelling of laundry detergent, the pillow is fluffed and the blanket is in the dryer, warm.

~~~

When it happens, it’s not the way Kagami had pictured it at all, but in retrospect, it’s _so them_. 

They’re in the locker room after an exceptionally intense session of one-on-one basketball, a session that lasted a little over 3 hours. They’re both sweaty and gross, but there’s a glow to Aomine that’s mesmerizing. When he plays, he throws himself into the game, and even though Kagami loses a lot, he makes Aomine work for it. It's positively thrilling. 

Aomine's smile is fierce, the crinkle around his eye deep and perfect. He’s pulled off his shirt, revealing a long healed, impressive body. He’s all lean muscle and jutting hip bones, no excess mass in sight. Kagami is in decent shape himself, but damn, this guy could give anyone a complex.

‘Oh? Do you think I’m impressive, Taiga?’ Aomine’s smirk is _disgusting_.

‘Yeah,’ Kagami simply shrugs, ‘you’re pretty hot.’

‘Aww, don’t say that, you know I’m- oh wait, what? You think I’m hot?’ Aomine sounds baffled, almost a little upset that they couldn’t have a long, drawn out conversation about his hotness. Kagami sniggers.

‘Yeah, not bad at all.’

There’s silence. It’s not heavy, but there’s a sort of anticipation in the air.

‘Kagami?’

‘Hmm?’

‘Did you really mean that?’

Kagami turns to look at him, and Aomine's expression is uncharacteristically serious, a bit vulnerable even. It piques Kagami’s interest.

‘Yeah, I did.’

Aomine nods slowly, shifting to lean his weight against the locker. He hasn’t put on his shirt yet, and Kagami had shed his a few moments prior. There’s no denying the electricity between them. It’s low-key but _so there_ , filling up the air between them with unspoken tension. Kagami shifts till he’s facing Aomine as well, taking note of his light blush.

‘So uh, does that mean I have a chance?’

‘Huh? At what?’

Aomine clears his throat. ‘At you. At us. I mean, I’m not even sure you swing that way, and uh, if you don’t I hope this isn’t weird, fuck, I mean-‘

‘Aomine. Are you asking me if I’m interested in dating you?’

Aomine snaps his mouth shut and nods mutely. He looks scared. Kagami understands that, and smiles softly, offering comfort. He steps closer to Aomine, the distance between them barely there.

‘Well, for one, I am a raging bisexual, so that’s one mystery solved. And for another,’ his smile turns mischievous, ‘I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been shamelessly checking you out for the last month or so.’

Aomine’s mouth shapes into an ‘O’ before his answering grin stretches his face into a look of such boyish joy it tugs at Kagami’s heart. He closes the distance between them completely, his hand gently finding a spot on Kagami’s hip. He squeezes Kagami’s side and bites his lip.

‘Can I, you know, kiss you?’

Kagami leans forward, ‘Surprised you’re polite enough to ask.’

Aomine huffs a laugh, leaning even closer, ‘Fuck off.’

They’re only a breath apart when Kagami presses two fingers to Aomine’s lips. The man’s eyes had already slid shut and they jerk open, full of questions.

‘One-on-one to decide who gets to pick the restaurant tonight. I don’t plan on losing.’

Aomine’s eyes twinkle, and it’s one of the many times Kagami will think _Fuck, I’m screwed huh_.

Is Aomine a pain in the ass and likely to stay that way? Absolutely. Does Kagami kiss him that night? Well, he doesn’t kiss and tell. (read: Aomine's lips are a bit chapped, soft and ridiculously great.)

~~~

**Author's Note:**

> i've noticed that as you grow older, you become more fluff oriented somehow. at least, that's what's happening to me. also, there's enough bad stuff going on in the world right now. i hope this made you smile.
> 
> // also huge thank you to my boyfriend for hyping me and giving this a quick proof read. what a sweetie.


End file.
